Latin Radio Stations Fueling Fire Of Free Speech Debate

Mixing right-wing political rhetoric with community news, Miami`s fiery Spanish-language radio stations are at the center of a growing debate over free speech in Dade County.

The opinionated and fiercely anti-communist Latin broadcasters are charged with stirring up hate and intimidating anyone who is against their brand of conservative politics.

``Dade County isn`t America. It`s a banana republic ruled by a clique of hate mongers with microphones who call everybody they disagree with a communist,`` said Neil Rogers, an English-language radio personality who has clashed with Cuban commentators for years.

But Spanish-language broadcasters say their sentiments on the air only reflect the thinking of the Latin community.

``We give commentary, with a point of view. We serve our community,`` said Tomas Regalado, a widely known broadcaster on top-rated WQBA.

Critics contend that the Spanish radio not only mirrors the views of local Cubans but also harangues Latin audiences and encourages listeners to stifle free speech in Dade.

Jack Lieberman, an opponent of President Reagan`s policies in Central America and a favorite target of Spanish-language radios` venom, accused the broadcasters of trying to crush his movement. Lieberman was an organizer of Saturday`s anti-Contra rally in Miami.

``They broadcast for hours that our rally shouldn`t take place, then urge people to come and try and stop us,`` Lieberman said.

He blames Spanish-language radio for the near riot March 22, when speakers against aid to the Nicaraguan Contra guerrillas were pelted with eggs, rocks and sticks thrown from a crowd of largely Cuban counterdemonstrators.

In a similar peace rally organized in 1984, shots were fired over the heads of the demonstrators by an angry Cuban brought to the scene by Spanish- language radio broadcasts.

This month the stations halted a play after broadcasters pointed out that playwright Dolores Prida favored U.S. relations with Cuba. In 1984, they blocked an appearance at Burdines by actress Jane Fonda because she opposed the Vietnam War.

Salvador Lew, general manager of WRHC, is the man generally credited with -- or blamed for -- chasing Fonda out of Miami.

``All I said was that Burdines would not put a person who has favored Nazis in the past on (heavily Jewish) Miami Beach,`` said Lew. ``So why put a person who has favored communists in the past in (heavily Cuban) downtown Miami?``

Lew said his call for Burdines to cancel Fonda`s appearance succeeded because ``there are one million Spanish-speaking persons in South Florida. We are a big market.``

It is a market that English-speaking residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties seldom come in contact with, but it is huge and growing. Spanish- language radio is following the Latins, who are moving north from Dade.

Nothing indicates the influence of the eight leading Spanish-language stations more than the ratings. In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale ratings, WQBA has been the No. 1 AM radio station for years.

Radio Mambi WAQI nearly doubled its ratings when it switched to a Spanish- language format earlier this year. Long an also-ran in the ratings as WGBS, the new Radio Mambi jumped ahead of all but one English language AM station in the winter 1986 Arbitron survey.

``I have found in politics that the Hispanic stations have more influence than any other media in South Florida. They spend more time on politics and news,`` said state Rep. Alberto Gutman, R-Miami.

In fact, WQBA schedules as much as 14 hours of news daily, more than any English language station. WQBA broadcasts almost every speech and news conference of President Reagan verbatim, with instantaneous Spanish translations.

The stations are very serious about the news and spend a lot of money to cover it. Regalado has broadcast from Egypt and Angola, expensive trips almost unheard of on local English language stations. The walls of his office in WQBA`s new, ultramodern studio are covered with pictures of him interviewing famous world leaders and presidents.

The stations are unique in other ways, too. There is nothing like their marriage of national politics and neighborhood news, variety shows and self- help information, soap operas, talk shows and salsa music in English- language radio.

``We are the center of information in the Latin community, somewhat like a large newspaper, with lots of different types of information,`` explained Guillermo Mota, station manager of WQBA.